It wasn't until he had gotten the last digit of the phone number out that
the teen even realized he was talking. He knew the number was important
but, as the annoyed woman on the other end of the phone abruptly made the
connection, Richie just couldn't quite piece together why he was calling
someone.
He sincerely hoped the person on the other end of the phone would know what he wanted.
***
As Duncan absently shrugged on his coat, both he and Tessa turned to the sound of the ringing phone. Crossing the room in a few brief strides, the Immortal ceased the ringing with a sense of urgency. "Hello?"
"Hello?" Came back the confused response in echo.
Duncan, however, would have recognized the voice anywhere. "Richie! Richie, are you all right? Where are you?"
"Right here." The stunned boy replied in utter confusion.
The Immortal replied as calmly as was possible. "Where's here, Rich?"
"The phone booth." Richie answered, deadly serious.
Duncan, fortunately, recognized the confusion in the youth's voice even over the phone lines. "Are there any signs, Richie? Signs?"
"Signs?" Richie repeated slowly.
Duncan nodded, despite Richie's inability to see the gesture. "Signs? Street signs? Store signs? Read one, Richie."
"Signs." Richie repeated absently.
As Duncan impatiently waited for the teen to continue, he began to fear the request would never register. "Gibson's."
"Gibson's? Gibson's Meat Market?" Duncan pressed.
Richie's reply was, once again, noticeably delayed. "I'm not hungry."
"Okay." Duncan replied, doing his best to remain calm and logical for the boy. "Sit down then, okay?"
"Sit?" Richie repeated, completely lost.
Duncan repeated the command firmly. "Sit."
When the man heard a shuffle and the release of the phone, he silently gave thanks for the teen's compliance. He only hoped the youth would stay put long enough for him to get to the boy. Hanging up the phone quickly, he immediately headed for the door.
"Where is he?" Tessa demanded, right on his heels.
Duncan looked back distractedly. "I think by the docks."
"I'm coming with you." The woman replied resolutely.
The Immortal, however, was equally resolute. "No, he might call back. Stay here."
"I'm coming." Tessa repeated earnestly.
The Scotsman was growing frustrated. "Tessa."
"Either we ride together or I drive myself." She interrupted firmly. "It makes no difference to me."
It was one argument the Immortal wasn't going to win. With a slight nod of acknowledgement, he led the way out the door, only the pause of grabbing two coats delaying the woman behind him.
***
Pulling into the back alley with a slight squeal of the tires, both Duncan and Tessa were out of the car while smoke was still coming from the exhaust. Making a beeline for the only phone booth within blocks, the woman skidded into the back of her lover as he stared at the bottom of the booth. It wasn't only the vacant state of the booth that disturbed the woman. The streak of fresh blood across the bottom added to her terror.
He sincerely hoped the person on the other end of the phone would know what he wanted.
***
As Duncan absently shrugged on his coat, both he and Tessa turned to the sound of the ringing phone. Crossing the room in a few brief strides, the Immortal ceased the ringing with a sense of urgency. "Hello?"
"Hello?" Came back the confused response in echo.
Duncan, however, would have recognized the voice anywhere. "Richie! Richie, are you all right? Where are you?"
"Right here." The stunned boy replied in utter confusion.
The Immortal replied as calmly as was possible. "Where's here, Rich?"
"The phone booth." Richie answered, deadly serious.
Duncan, fortunately, recognized the confusion in the youth's voice even over the phone lines. "Are there any signs, Richie? Signs?"
"Signs?" Richie repeated slowly.
Duncan nodded, despite Richie's inability to see the gesture. "Signs? Street signs? Store signs? Read one, Richie."
"Signs." Richie repeated absently.
As Duncan impatiently waited for the teen to continue, he began to fear the request would never register. "Gibson's."
"Gibson's? Gibson's Meat Market?" Duncan pressed.
Richie's reply was, once again, noticeably delayed. "I'm not hungry."
"Okay." Duncan replied, doing his best to remain calm and logical for the boy. "Sit down then, okay?"
"Sit?" Richie repeated, completely lost.
Duncan repeated the command firmly. "Sit."
When the man heard a shuffle and the release of the phone, he silently gave thanks for the teen's compliance. He only hoped the youth would stay put long enough for him to get to the boy. Hanging up the phone quickly, he immediately headed for the door.
"Where is he?" Tessa demanded, right on his heels.
Duncan looked back distractedly. "I think by the docks."
"I'm coming with you." The woman replied resolutely.
The Immortal, however, was equally resolute. "No, he might call back. Stay here."
"I'm coming." Tessa repeated earnestly.
The Scotsman was growing frustrated. "Tessa."
"Either we ride together or I drive myself." She interrupted firmly. "It makes no difference to me."
It was one argument the Immortal wasn't going to win. With a slight nod of acknowledgement, he led the way out the door, only the pause of grabbing two coats delaying the woman behind him.
***
Pulling into the back alley with a slight squeal of the tires, both Duncan and Tessa were out of the car while smoke was still coming from the exhaust. Making a beeline for the only phone booth within blocks, the woman skidded into the back of her lover as he stared at the bottom of the booth. It wasn't only the vacant state of the booth that disturbed the woman. The streak of fresh blood across the bottom added to her terror.
